Mid Valley Reporter

Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be a part of the solution to plastic pollution. An estimated 14 million tons of plastic waste flows to the ocean each year. About 1,000 rivers around the world account for nearly 80 percent of plastic waste flowing to the ocean.

Today about 400 million tons of plastic waste is produced each year. This increases the plastic that is disposed of. In the early 2000’s, the amount of plastic waste we generated rose more in one decade than in the previous 40 years. Half of all plastic produced is designed for single use. Currently around the world 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute. Worldwide 5 trillion plastic bags are used. Other top plastic items include utensils, coffee/drink cups, food packaging, and straws.

You can help reduce your contribution to plastic pollution by using reusable items instead of single-use items. You can take the Plastic Free July challenge and choose one, or more, single-use items to cut out of your purchases. By reducing use of single-use plastic you can help reduce the amount of plastic waste that is flowing to local streams, rivers, and ultimately the ocean.

Keeping trash and plastic out of waterways starts right here! Help keep local streams trash-free by disposing of trash properly, making sure lids are secure on outdoor trash bins, and cleaning up trash in your neighborhood. You can find other tips on how to keep local waterways clean and pollution free on the Clean Streams website.

Original source can be found here